Revelation 5:8: And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

The four beasts and 24 Elders worshiped the Lamb as he took¹ the book from the Father, who was seated on the throne.² Both groups fell down and prostrated themselves before the Lamb in an attitude of profound worship.³ The four beasts represent the four classes of creation.⁴ The 24 Elders represent members of Christ's church that are worthy of exaltation in the celestial kingdom⁵ and are therefore called saints.⁶

Some scholars believe the four beasts and 24 Elders both had harps and golden vials full of odours.⁷ However, only the 24 Elders had these objects.⁸ The golden vials full of odours are the prayers of saints,⁹ and the saints are represented only by the 24 Elders.¹⁰ The harps were probably a ten-stringed instrument played with a key.¹¹ Harps of this kind were used anciently in the service and worship of God.¹² The harps represent praises offered by the 24 Elders in connection with the new song described in Revelation 5:9.¹³

The golden vials, which refer to wide-mouth bowls or goblets,¹⁴ were full of odours that represent the prayers of saints.¹⁵ This alludes to the ancient temple,¹⁶ where incense was burned.¹⁷ The rising smoke from the altar of incense¹⁸ and from the altar of burnt offering¹⁹ (brazen altar)²⁰ represented prayers ascending to God.²¹ In John's vision of paradise, the Lamb was positioned between God and the 24 Elders,²² which symbolizes Christ's intercessory role as the mediator²³ between God and the faithful saints.²⁴ The 24 Elders therefore pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ,²⁵ who is their advocate with the Father.²⁶ The Lamb brings about their reconciliation to God²⁷ as he redeems them from sin²⁸ with the price of his own blood and his slain body.²⁹

For many centuries, Christ's sacrifice was typified by sin offerings³⁰ where the blood from the sacrificial animal was sprinkled on the altar of burnt offering.³¹ Some sacrifices were entirely consumed by fire on the altar.³² Live coals from that altar were carried in a censer and placed in the golden altar of incense in the Holy Place.³³ The hot coals from the altar of burnt offering caused the incense to burn and the smoke to rise.³⁴ The actual prayers of the saints ascend to God and become efficacious only because Jesus Christ offered himself as the final and great sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.³⁵ Revelation 8:3 also illustrates this important relationship, where John saw an angel with a golden censer that also had much incense that he should offer with the prayers of the saints. ³⁶

Revelation 5:9: And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

When the Lamb took the sealed book from the Father, the 24 Elders and four beasts ³⁷ spontaneously³⁸ sing (not sung)³⁹ a new song (chant)⁴⁰ praising Jesus Christ as the Redeemer.⁴¹ Their new song celebrates the gospel,⁴² which is called the new and everlasting covenant.⁴³ The song is new in the sense that Christ's atonement was carried out,⁴⁴ which created a new covenant⁴⁵ approximately 60 years before John's vision on Patmos island.⁴⁶ The song is also new in the sense that Christ takes the book from the Father to execute the remaining works of God⁴⁷ in each of the seven seals that remained as of 96 AD.⁴⁸

The lyrics of the new song say that Christ is worthy (empowered)⁴⁹ to carry out the redemptive works of God in the sealed book because Christ was slain.⁵⁰ The price of his blood⁵¹ redeemed mankind⁵² and reconciled the 24 Elders to God.⁵³ By their faith, obedience, and the blood of the Lamb,⁵⁴ the 24 Elders and all whom they represent will be exalted in the celestial kingdom at the time of their resurrection.⁵⁵

The new song also uses the world number four (4) to describe the universal reach of Christ's redemption.⁵⁶ Men and women worthy of exaltation are redeemed to God,⁵⁷ which means they will become as God is.⁵⁸ They are taken out of⁵⁹ this world⁶⁰ as on all other worlds without end.⁶¹ Therefore, the 24 Elders represent men and women from every (1) kindred (tribe),⁶² (2) tongue (language),⁶³ (3) people (races or ethnicities),⁶⁴ and (4) nation (sovereign kingdoms).⁶⁵

Revelation 5:10: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

These words of the new song⁶⁶ confirm that only the 24 Elders are singing about the exalted state they achieve.⁶⁷ Other than mankind, the creations represented by the four beasts do not achieve exaltation as kings and priests.⁶⁸ Only the 24 Elders represent the saints who shall reign on the earth⁶⁹ with crowns.⁷⁰ They alone will be exalted kings and priests (with their wives)⁷¹ in the celestial kingdom.⁷² They shall become a kingdom of priests and an holy nation.⁷³

Some scholars believe that John saw the present reign of these kings and priests on earth.⁷⁴ However, John saw them in the postmortal spirit world called paradise⁷⁵ where they reign⁷⁶ as spirits of just men made perfect.⁷⁷ They will reign on earth as exalted men and women⁷⁸ only after their resurrection⁷⁹ at the Second Coming and start of the millennium.⁸⁰